Self-service – people DIYing health care — can help solve the primary care shortage in America, based on the findings of 23 studies published this week.

If health information technologies (health IT) were “fully implemented” in 30% of doctors’ offices, demand for physicians would fall by 4 to 9%, according to The Impact of Health Information Technology and e-Health On the Future Demand for Physician Services, published in the November 2013 issue of Health Affairs. Weiner, Yeh and Blumenthal did a meta-analysis of the literature on health IT and its potential to improve productivity and extend physician services and found that using HIT can help salve shortages in physician markets. The authors discuss “the new digital practice milieu,” where 82% of office-based physicians in the U.S. now have an EHR. However, fewer than 35% of physicians are using a comprehensive HIT system, so that “full use” and potential benefits of these tools are elusive.

At the same time, health consumers in the U.S. want to use e-health tools – such as emailing doctors and looking into their personal health records such as lab test results.

While the authors believe that “the likelihood of that health IT adoption will not progress at all beyond its present status….is nil,” the forecast for providers’ universal full-on embrace of EHR functionality is hazy. One of the key issues to keep in mind when forecasting deep use of EHRs and health IT include is how the use of Big Data and analytics will impact medicine – something of a wild card for the next 5-10 years. What’s past won’t be prologue, the researchers predict.

Silow-Carroll and Smith look into the 40-60,000 health and wellness apps in the market, and believe that these may be beneficial for low-income and minority patients disproportionately affected by chronic disease. Because these people often face barriers to accessing health care, self-managed apps – when adopted and used – can address this challenge. The researchers point to data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project which shows that African Americans and Hispanics are more likely than white people to own a smartphone and among cell phone owners, minorities are also more likely to use their phones for accessing health information.

A Harris poll found that at least one-third of people who participate in online activities are keen to use smartphones or tablets to “do” health online: ask doctors questions, make appointments, and receive medical test results, for example. Among the many clinical management apps discussed are dermatology, diabetes, asthma, and general medication reminders.

Before we get too techno-optimist about this scenario, there are drawbacks and barriers to consider in the form of reimbursement, technical, regulatory, personal and financial challenges. The FDA Guidance issued in September 2013, before this paper got approved for publication, will help solve some of the regulatory vagueness that slowed developers in this space. Regarding the financial barrier, some enlightened Medicaid plans have provided smartphones to enrollees to encourage the use of health apps and streamlined communication with health providers.

Health Populi’s Hot Points:“Human-machine interactions may change so dramatically that people can no longer be neatly divided into categories such as patient, clinician, and support staff,” Weiner and team foresee.

The bottom line is that the consumer-patient will be playing an increasing self-service role in her health care. “Patient-centered provider teams will need to take advantage of data that are generated before, during and after a visit (whether face-to-face or remote) and that come from numerous nontraditional, community-based sources,” Weiner and his team write.

While the promise of self-service primary care, bolstered in these two publications, is positive, there are supply side and demand side issues to keep in mind. The Commonwealth Fund points out that apps can be targeted to lower-income people who bear a large burden of chronic disease. However, without adequate financial incentives to engage, and well designed programs that delight consumers. adoption and sustained use will be in peril. The Health Affairs article reminds us that provider workflow when it comes to full engagement of health IT is also more a cultural than technical challenge and while Meaningful Use incentives have inspired initial adoption, it remains to be seen how intimately doctors and providers will hug these tools.

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2 Comments on Self-service health – how consumers can help solve the primary care shortage

Self-care is the new black in health care | Health Populi
said :
GuestReport
6 years ago

[…] Health Populi’s Hot Points: Most consumers already self-care in ways in which doctors may or may not be involved. Over-the-counter drugs, vitamins/minerals/supplements, using food for health, alternative providers like chiropractors and nutritionists, consulting with pharmacists for personal medical issues, and other retail health modes are growing in consumer preference, as people seek more convenient, cost-effective, culturally sensitive choices for managing their and their families’ health. This is a new extension of primary care, extending physicians’ arms, hands and influence to the home. People undertaking greater self-care must be part of the solution to address the primary care physician shortage. […]

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Jane will brainstorm the future of health at the intersection of health care and technology with Lisa Suennen, Venture Valkyrie and Leader of Manhattan Digital and Technology Group, and Dr. Geeta Nayyar, prominent physician and nationally recognized leader in health care and technology, at AHIP’s annual Institute and Expo - virtual, on June 18th at 9 am.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) created a wonderful summary of CES 2020 in Las Vegas, which feels like nostalgic today in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's a link to the story, and at the bottom, a sweet reminder of my fellow authors and me, all featured in Gary's Book Club for #CES2020. Happy memory!

Jane will be donvene virtually with telehealth stakeholders to bolster the health care consumer message and opportunities at the ATA annual meeting that's -- appropriately! -- going online this year in the COVID-19 era.

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